The conventional tug-of-war game is probably one of the oldest games known to mankind, for it requires only participants, a length of rope, and a relatively level playing field to ensure fairness. At the beginning of the game, the rope is laid out such that its midpoint is centered over an identifiable finish line or object, this leaving equal lengths or portions of rope on either side of the finish line. An equal number of contestants line up along the rope on each side of the finish line, usually grasping the rope but with its midpoint still centered. When the signal to begin the game is sounded, each side attempts to pull the other side over the finish side, and when that is accomplished, the game is won, and over. Various modifications may occur in the rules of the game, but the foregoing gives the reader the sense of the game.
A problem with the old-fashioned style of game is that it requires a great deal of room as the contestants tend to wander all over the place; although the contestants initially pull at right angles or normal to the finish line, their direction of pull varies rather wildly at times, and it is very difficult for the spectators to tell exactly which side is winning and by how much.